Sen. Marc Catlin

The bill makes it unlawful under the 'Mortuary Science Code' for a person to own more than a 10% indirect interest in a funeral establishment or crematory while simultaneously owning interest in a nontransplant tissue bank. The bill requires nontransplant tissue banks to: Register with the director of the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies; and Make disclosures, keep records and make them available to interested parties and the director, and maintain a standard of practice. The registration of nontransplant tissue banks sunsets on September 1, 2024. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Section 1 of the bill includes the unprocessed seeds of industrial hemp in the definition of 'commodity' within the 'Commodity Handler Act', thus subjecting a person who acts as a commodity handler with respect to the unprocessed seeds of industrial hemp to the licensing requirements set forth in the 'Commodity Handler Act'. Section 2 includes industrial hemp in the definition of 'farm products' within the 'Farm Products Act', thus subjecting a person who acts as a farm products dealer, small-volume dealer, or agent to the licensing requirements set forth in the 'Farm Products Act'. Section 3 reiterates these licensing requirements within the act governing industrial hemp cultivation in Colorado. Section 4 authorizes the commissioner to set a fee schedule for industrial hemp cultivation registration.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Young and Beginning Farmers Interim Study Committee. The bill requires the commissioner of agriculture to create, by rule, the agricultural workforce development program to provide incentives to agricultural businesses to hire interns. Qualified agricultural businesses may be reimbursed an amount not to exceed 50% of the actual cost of hiring a qualified intern. The rules must include specified criteria for qualifying businesses and interns participating in the program. Qualified internships must include at least 130 hours of work experience and cannot exceed 6 months in duration. The program is repealed on July 1, 2024. The bill appropriates $43,157 from the general fund to the department of agriculture for use by the commissioner to implement the program. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill creates the school access for emergency response grant program (grant program) in the division of homeland security and emergency management (division) in the department of public safety (department). The purpose of the grant program is to provide funding for interoperable communication hardware, software, equipment maintenance, and training to allow for seamless communications between existing school communications systems and first responder communications systems. Grant recipients may use the money received through the grant program to deliver training programs to teach effective communications with first responders in an emergency, to implement an interoperable technology solution to provide or upgrade a system for effective communication with first responders in an emergency, to maintain, improve, or provide interoperable communications hardware or software, and for any necessary radio system capacity expansions where school loading has been determined to have a significant impact on public safety system loading. The division, in consultation with the grant selection committee created in the bill, is required to implement the grant program and, subject to available appropriations, award grants to be paid from the grant program fund. The director of the division is required to promulgate rules necessary to implement the grant program. The grant selection committee is created to work with the director of the division to determine whether a grant applicant satisfies the criteria to receive a grant. To be eligible to receive a grant, a school district, school, charter school of the district, institute charter school, or state charter school institute must have a memorandum of understanding with its regional public safety 911 answering point or the local law enforcement agency that serves the school for communications interoperability and must submit an application, including specified information, to the division. The grant selection committee is required to review the applications received and consider certain criteria in awarding the grants. Each grant recipient is required to submit a report to the division and the department is required to provide an annual update to the general assembly regarding the grant program. The bill creates the grant program cash fund in the state treasury, which consists of a specified amount of money that the state treasurer transfers to the fund for each of the next 6 fiscal years. The bill also makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing and the division of insurance in the department of regulatory agencies (departments) to conduct a study and to prepare and submit a report to certain committees of the general assembly concerning the costs, benefits, and feasibility of implementing a medicaid buy-in option, a public-private partnership option, or a community- or regionally based option for health care coverage. The report must contain a detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each option and must identify the most feasible option based on objectives and criteria described in the bill. In conducting the study, the departments shall engage in a stakeholder process that includes public and private health insurance experts, consumers, consumer advocates, providers, and carriers. The bill includes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Currently, in a county with a population of less than 70,000, the board of county commissioners consists of 3 members from 3 separate districts, with one commissioner elected from each district by the voters of the whole county. The bill allows the voters of a county to change the method of election so that a commissioner is elected only by voters residing in the district from which the commissioner runs for election. The change can be made either by the board of county commissioners referring a question to the voters or by the qualified electors filing a petition to have the question placed the ballot. Terms of current commissioners are not affected and the change only affects newly elected commissioners. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More

Current law requires persons outside of Colorado who accept wagers from residents of Colorado on simulcast horse racing events to be licensed in Colorado and to pay a source market fee into the racing cash fund. The bill authorizes the director of the division of racing events to allocate a portion of the source market fee to be paid to any horse purse trust fund established pursuant to existing law, if necessary, to maintain a sustainable and competitive purse structure in Colorado. The money credited to a horse purse trust account from the source market fee is to be paid out as purses for races held at live race meets in Colorado, as authorized by the director, or as otherwise authorized by rules of the commission. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The board of the southwestern water conservation district (board) is currently required to meet on the fourth Tuesday of January, April, July, and October. Section 1 of the bill requires the board to meet once every 3 months and eliminates the specific date requirement. Section 2 makes conforming amendments to the provisions governing the terms of board members and of the board president.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

For ground leases for the construction and operation of telecommunications towers on state land managed by the state board of land commissioners (board) in rural areas of the state, the bill requires the board to set a lease rate based on a local market-based appraisal of telecommunications lease rates in the rural area. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More

Sunset Process - House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee. The bill implements the recommendation of the department of regulatory agencies to sunset the wildland-urban interface training advisory board.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More